1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information recording system for recording information onto an optical disk such as a CD-R/RW, DVD and so forth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, optical disks in write once type, rewriteable type and so forth have been widely used.
For example, in an optical disk drive such as a CD-R/RW drive, a CD-R/DVD drive, a CD-RW/DVD drive for which information is written onto an optical disk by using a general-purpose computer or the like, the maximum recording rate at which writing onto the disk can be performed depends on a personal computer (PC) or the like to be used and the environment thereof, and, thereby, cannot be easily determined.
A problem of so-called buffer under-run may occur when information is recorded onto such an optical disk. This problem occurs when a rate of recording information onto the optical disk through a buffer is higher than a rate of transferring (for example, 150 kilobytes/second in a unit rate, and, actually, a rate even times thereof) information to the buffer. In such an occasion, there is no information left in the buffer to be recorded onto the optical disk. Thus, recording operation is interrupted. Then, after a predetermined amount of information has been transferred to the buffer, the recording operation is restarted.
In such a case, it is necessary that information which should be recorded first after the recording interruption should be recorded precisely subsequently to the information which has been recorded at the last instance immediately before the recording interruption. Otherwise, after that, reading of the information from the optical disk cannot be performed properly.
In the Orange Book and so forth, continuity between information recorded before and after recording interruption is prescribed. By performing appropriate processing according to the prescription, the above-mentioned problem of buffer under-run may be avoided.
In order to ensure continuity between information recorded immediately before the recording interruption and information to be recorded immediately after the recording restarting, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. 10-49990 and 2000-40302 disclose methods. A function of ensuring continuity between information recorded immediately before the recording interruption and information to be recorded immediately after the recording restarting is referred to as a buffer under-run free (BURF) function.
However, although these methods were used, it has not been possible to completely avoid a reading error occurring when information is restored from an optical disk, due to a problem concerning the above-mentioned in recording continuity due to buffer under-run problem.
In order to know the quality of information recorded onto an optical disk, it is needed to know how many times the above-mentioned BURF function is operated while the information is recorded onto the optical disk.
As the operation speed of the information recording device is increased, a difference between time required for recording at the maximum recording rate and the second maximum recording rate becomes smaller. Accordingly, a user may wish to perform recording at the second maximum recording rate if the above-mentioned BURF function operates too many times at the maximum recording rate. Further, a user may know a recording rate at which recording can be properly performed without many times of operations of the BURF function. However, in the related art, in order to know the actual number of times of operations of the BURF function at an any recording rate, it is necessary to actuarially perform recording operation, or to perform test write operation many times for trying various recording rates.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system by which it can be seen whether or not information recorded onto an optical disk is such that the information was recorded on the optical disk with occurrence of recording interruption and operation of the BURF function.
Another object of the present invention is to enable easy study as to how many times operation of the BURF function occurs due to recording interruption for various recording rates.
An information recording system, according to the present invention, for recording information onto an optical disk, includes:
a continuity maintaining part which restarts recording of data onto the optical disk after a pause of recording occurring due to buffer under-run, in such a manner that continuity with information recorded immediately before the occurrence of the pause is maintained;
a counting part counting the number of times of operation of the continuity maintaining part during the recording of the information onto the optical disk; and
a display part displaying the number of times of operation of the continuity maintaining part counted by the counting part.
The information recording system may further include a recording part which records the number of times of operation of the continuity maintaining part counted by the counting part onto the optical disk.
The information recording system may further include a selecting part for a user to select, at the beginning of recording of the information onto the optical disk, as to whether or not the continuity maintaining part operates.
The information recording system may include a terminal device such as a personal computer and an optical disk drive which performs recording of information onto the optical disk; wherein:
the terminal device comprises the display part; and
the optical disk drive comprises the continuity maintaining part and the counting part.
The display part may display a picture for the user to select whether or not the continuity maintaining part operates.
The user may be able to select whether or not the number of times of operation of the continuity maintaining part is recorded onto the opitcal disk.
The information recording system may further include a testing part which performs test recording onto the optical disk with a reduced power of recording light, before regular recording, and, when buffer under-run occurs during the test recording, this matter is displayed.
The testing part may interrupt the test recording when buffer under-run occurs.
A recording medium, according to the present invention, in which a software program is recorded, is such that the program causes an information recording system, including a continuity maintaining part which restarts recording of data onto the optical disk after an interruption of recording occurring due to buffer under-run during the recording onto an optical disk, in such a manner that continuity with information recorded immediately before the occurrence of the pause is maintained, to perform the steps of:
a) counting the number of times of operation of the continuity maintaining part; and
b) displaying the number of times counted in the step a).
The program may cause the information recording system to further perform the step of:
c) recording the number of times counted by the step a) onto the optical disk.
The recording medium in which a software program is also recorded, such that the program may cause the information recording system to perform the step of:
c) selecting as to whether or not the continuity maintaining part is made operate.
The program may cause the information recording system to further perform the step of:
c) displaying a picture for a user to select as to whether or not the continuity maintaining part is made operate.
The program may cause the information recording system to further perform the step of:
c) displaying a picture for a user to select as to whether or not the number of times counted in the step a) is recorded onto the optical disk.
The program may cause the information recording system to further perform the step of:
c) performing test recording onto the optical disk with a reduced power of recording light, before regular recording, wherein, when buffer under-run occurs during the test recording, this matter is displayed.
The program may cause the information recording system to further perform the step:
d) interrupting the test recording when buffer under-run occurs.
Thereby, it is possible for a user to know the quality of information recorded onto the optical disk by seeing the number of times of restarting by the BURF function performed after a pause caused by buffer under-run.
An information recording device according to the present invention includes:
a recording part which records data onto a recording medium at a recording rate selected from a plurality of recording rates;
a pausing/restarting part which pauses the receiving based on a predetermined condition occurring during the recording, and restarts recording in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a counting part which counts the number of times of pausing/restarting operation of the pausing/restarting part;
a storing part which stores the number of times counted by the counting part in a manner such that the number of times is related to the recording rate used when the pausing/restarting operation is performed.
The pausing/restarting part may determine whether or not buffer under-run is likely to occur based on a stored amount of data to be recorded onto the recording medium;
pause the recording when determining that buffer under-run is likely to occur;
determine whether or not the situation of buffer under-run being likely to occur has been got rid of based on the stored amount of data to be recorded; and
restart recording upon determining that the situation of buffer under-run being likely to occur has been got rid of.
The storing part may store the number of times of pausing/restarting operation in a manner such that the number of times of pausing/restarting operation performed upon determination of buffer under-run being likely to occur based on the stored amount of data to be recorded is distinguishable from the number of times of pausing/restarting operation performed by another reason.
The information recording device may further include a setting part by which the recording rates to be used and the recording time interval for which recording is performed at each of the recording rates can be set freely.
The information recording device may further include an outputting part calculating, based on the number of times of pausing/restarting operation with respect to the recording rate, a measured time and a theoretical time required for the recording, the total recorded data amount, the total number of times of avoiding buffer under-run, average number of times of avoiding buffer under-run and the maximum number of avoiding buffer under-run for unit data recording amount, for each recording rate, and outputting them.
The outputting part may further output identification information of a data transfer source which transferred the data recorded, and the total data transferred amount for each recording rate.
When a plurality of recording rates are selected, a study for a vacant area of a trial writing area of the recording medium may be made as to whether or not processing of obtaining an optimum recording rate from the selected plurality of recording rates can be performed; and
when the processing can be performed, the processing may be performed, and, when no optimum recording rate could be obtained therefrom, an advise may be output such as to stop the recording, or lower the recording rate.
An information recording method according to the present invention includes the steps of:
a) recording data onto a recording medium at a recording rate selected from a plurality of recording rates;
b) pausing the recording based on a predetermined condition occurring during the recording, and restarts recording in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
c) counting the number of times of pausing/restarting operation in the step b);
d) storing the number of times counted in the step c) in a manner such that the number of times is related to the recording rate used when the pausing/restarting operation is performed.
The step b) may include the steps of:
b1) determining whether or not buffer under-run is likely to occur based on a stored amount of data to be recorded onto the recording medium;
b2) pausing the recording when determining that buffer under-run is likely to occur;
b3) determining whether or not the situation of buffer under-run being likely to occur has been got rid of based on the stored amount of data to be recorded; and
b4) restarting recording upon determining that the situation of buffer under-run being likely to occur has been got rid of.
The step d) may store the number of times of pausing/restarting operation in a manner such that the number of times of pausing/restarting operation performed upon determination of buffer under-run being likely to occur based on the stored amount of data to be recorded is distinguishable from the number of times of pausing/restarting operation performed by another reason.
The information recording method may further include the step e) freely setting the recording rates to be used and the recording time interval for which recording is performed at each of the recording rates.
The information recording method may further include e) calculating, based on the number of times of pausing/restarting operation with respect to the recording rate, a measured time and a theoretical time required for the recording, the total recorded data amount, the total number of times of avoiding buffer under-run, average number of times of avoiding buffer under-run and the maximum number of avoiding buffer under-run for unit data recording amount, for each recording rate, and outputting them.
The step e) may further output identification information of a data transfer source which transferred the data recorded, and the total data transferred amount for each recording rate.
An information recording system according to the present invention includes a host apparatus and an information recording device connected together for data communication therebetween, wherein:
the host apparatus comprises:
a recording and pausing/restarting part which causes the information recording device to record data onto a recording medium at a recording rate selected from a plurality of recording rates, pause the recording based on a predetermined condition occurring during the recording, and restart recording in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a counting part which counts the number of times of pausing/restarting operation of the recording and pausing/restarting part;
a storing part which stores the number of times counted by the counting part in a manner such that the number of times is related to the recording rate used when the pausing/restarting operation is performed.
A computer readable recording medium, according to the present invention, in which an information recording processing program is recorded, is such that the program cases a computer to perform:
a recording function of recording data onto another recording medium at a recording rate selected from a plurality of recording rates;
a pausing/restarting function of pausing the recording based on a predetermined condition occurring during the recording, and restarting recording in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a counting function of counting the number of times of execution of pausing/restarting operation by the pausing/restarting function;
a storing function of storing the number of times counted by the counting function in a manner such that the number of times is related to the recording rate used when the pausing/restarting operation is performed.
Thereby, a user can easily study the number of times of avoiding buffer under-run for each recording rate through data recording performed once.
An information recording/reproducing system according to the present invention includes:
a restarting part which restarts recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding part which holds the number of times of execution of the operation performed by the restarting part; and
a reporting part which reports the number of times held by the number holding part at any time.
An information recording/reproducing system according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
a restarting part which restarts recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding part which holds the number of times of execution of the operation performed by the restarting part; and
a reporting part which reports the number of times held by the number holding part each time a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium is studied.
An information recording/reproducing system according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
a restarting part which restarts recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding part which holds the number of times of execution of the operation performed by the restarting part; and
a reporting part which reports the number of times held by the number holding part when a disorder is detected in interval of generation of data writing command during recording onto the recording medium.
An information recording/reproducing system according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
a restarting part which restarts recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding part which holds the number of times of execution of the operation performed by the restarting part; and
a reporting part which reports the number of times held by the number holding part after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount.
An information recording/reproducing system according to another aspect of the present invention includes:
a restarting part which restarts recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding part which holds the number of times of execution of the operation performed by the restarting part; and
a reporting part which reports the number of times held by the number holding part after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount, and further, an elapse of a sufficient time interval for performing operation by the restarting part and updating the number of times of execution held by the holding part is detected.
An information recording/reproducing method according to the present invention includes the steps of:
a) restarting recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
b) holding the number of times of execution of the operation performed in the step a); and
c) reporting the number of times held in the step b) at any time.
An information recording/reproducing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
a) restating recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
b) holding the number of times of execution of the operation performed in the step a); and
c) reporting the number of times held in the step b) each time a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium is studied.
An information recording/reproducing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
a) restarting recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
b) holding the number of times of execution of the operation performed in the step a); and
c) reporting the number of times held in the step b) when a disorder is detected in interval of generation of data writing command during recording onto the recording medium.
An information recording/reproducing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
a) restarting recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
b) holding the number of times of execution of the operation performed in the step a); and
c) reporting the number of times held in the step b) after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount.
An information recording/reproducing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes the steps of:
a) restarting recording onto a recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
b) holding the number of times of execution of the operation performed in the step a); and
c) reporting the number of times held in the step b) after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount, and further, an elapse of a sufficient time interval for performing operation by the restarting part and updating the number of times of execution held by the holding part is detected.
A computer readable recording medium according to the present invention in which a software program is recorded is such that the program causes a computer to perform:
a restarting function of restarting recording onto another recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding function of holding the number of times of execution of the restarting function; and
a reporting function of reporting the number of times held by execution of the number holding function at any time.
A computer readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention in which a software program is recorded is such that the program causes a computer to perform:
a restarting function of restarting recording onto another recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding function of holding the number of times of execution of the restarting function; and
a reporting function of reporting the number of times held by execution of the number holding function each time a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the other recording medium is studied.
A computer readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention in which a software program is recorded is such that the program causes a computer to perform:
a restarting function of restarting recording onto another recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding function of holding the number of times of execution of the restarting function; and
a reporting function of reporting the number of times held by execution of the number holding function when a disorder is detected in interval of generation of data writing command during recording onto the other recording medium.
A computer readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention in which a software program is recorded is such that the program causes a computer to perform:
a restarting function of restarting recording onto another recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding function of holding the number of times of execution of the restarting function; and
a reporting function of reporting the number of times held by execution of the number holding function after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the other recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount.
A computer readable recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention in which a software program is recorded is such that the program causes a computer to perform:
a restarting function of restarting recording onto another recording medium after the recording is paused, in a manner such that continuity with data recorded immediately before the pause is maintained;
a number holding function of holding the number of times of execution of the restarting function; and
a reporting function of reporting the number of times held by execution of the number holding function after a used amount of a temporarily storage part which temporarily stores therein data to be recorded onto the other recording medium becomes lower than a predetermined amount, and further, an elapse of a sufficient time interval for performing operation by the restarting part and updating the number of times of execution held by the holding part is detected.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.